“President Donald Trump’s administration has thrown the NNSA into chaos, threatening hard-won staffing progress amid a trillion-dollar nuclear weapons upgrade. Desperately needed nuclear experts are wary of joining thanks to chaotic job cuts by Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency, experts say.
The disruption of NNSA’s chronically understaffed safety workforce is “a recipe for disaster,” said Joyce Connery, former head of the Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board.”
…
“Nuclear weapons workers don’t grow on trees, nor do the federal experts who oversee them. Many of the jobs require advanced degrees, and new hires often need years of on-the-job training. Security clearance requirements limit the most sensitive jobs to U.S. citizens.”
https://www.yahoo.com/news/nuclear-weapons-woes-understaffed-nuke-172019595.html
“Former Vice President Mike Pence said it’s a “bad idea” for President Donald Trump to receive a luxury jet from Qatar, arguing that accepting the gift could be unconstitutional and jeopardize national security.
“There are profound issues – the potential for intelligence gathering, the need to ensure the president of the United States is safe and secure as he travels around the world,” Pence told NBC’s “Meet the Press” in an interview released on May 16.
Accepting the plane “is inconsistent with our security, with our intelligence needs,” he added. “My hope is the president reconsiders it.””
https://www.yahoo.com/news/profound-issues-mike-pence-says-130031780.html
FBI links California fertility clinic bombing to anti-natalist ideology
https://www.yahoo.com/news/fbi-links-california-fertility-clinic-152927861.html
Dollar dominance is a benefit to Americans. Even individuals could borrow cheaper because the U.S. dollar was the global reserve currency. The dollar losing its value hurts this benefit. Trump’s tariffs weakened U.S. dollar dominance by losing trust in the United States as a responsible leader.
The U.S. didn’t primarily lose some manufacturing due to the strength of the dollar.
U.S. problems are worse than just Trump. There are a lot of bad political ideas on both sides.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pT2cohNt6a4
Why Cambodia & Laos Are Absurdly Empty
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ES1KMDHEUFM
“Google is not a charity; it’s a business. If it cannot generate revenue to make a profit through the combination of its advertising products, user data, and contracts with device manufacturers, it may have to raise prices on products that are presently enjoyed for free by consumers.”
https://reason.com/2025/04/23/the-doj-is-doing-its-best-to-make-google-unprofitable/
“The commission fined Apple on Tuesday for preventing developers from directly informing users of deals offered outside the App Store, thereby depriving consumers of the benefits of “alternative and cheaper offers.” The commission has ordered the company to remove these restrictions on pain of additional fines. Apple has called the penalty “yet another example of the European Commission unfairly targeting Apple in a series of decisions that are bad for the privacy and security of our users, bad for products, and force us to give away our technology for free,”
On the same day, Meta was fined for offering Facebook and Instagram users a choice between free versions of the apps with personalized advertising and paid ones without advertising—something the commission calls a “pay or consent model.” In a statement, a spokesman for Meta accused the commission of “forcing us to change our business model” said this “effectively imposes a multibillion-dollar tariff on Meta while requiring us to offer an inferior service.””
https://reason.com/2025/04/28/european-commission-fines-apple-and-meta-800-million/
Home insurance in California and Florida is up big thanks to climate change. Polluters get a massive subsidy through their pollution’s negative externality, and they spend the big bucks on lobbyists and propaganda to prevent environmental protection.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZHTDDJtuWv4
“There are federal tax benefits for racehorses (although there’s a chance they might soon expire) and some states exempt racehorses from their sales taxes. Other states own the racetracks.”
…
“”The obvious solution here is also the simplest: Just stop,” Shachtman wrote. “Let the sport stand on its own and dwindle to whatever size its fan base supports. Instead, state legislatures keep funneling money to it.””
https://reason.com/2025/04/29/stop-subsidizing-the-sport-of-kings/
“Bots create AI-generated student profiles, apply for enrollment, and submit minimal online coursework—often AI-generated—to stay enrolled long enough to receive federal and state aid disbursements intended for low-income students. The scammers are known as “Pell runners,” who disappear after collecting the $7,400 federal grant.”
https://reason.com/2025/04/30/ai-bots-in-california-steal-over-10-million-in-federal-financial-aid/